Wednesday, February 25, 2009

So tonight I was on my way back to the ad lab, and as I pulled up to the light at Ocala and Tenn. Street, the car in front of me stalled out. It was getting dark, so I helped them try to jump off the car, then push the car through Tennessee street and into the gas station.

That was my random act of kindness for the day, and it made me feel better to be able to help someone. Lesson : a random act of kindness goes a long way people.

My goal for myself this semester is to improve my skills on Photoshop.. and in doing so, I have been working on something pretty cool for my sorority. As New Member educator, one of my duties is to create a manual of every girl in our chapter and their interests. I took that and decided that I was going to actually create a magazine and call it "Zeta Girl" ... like Cosmo Girl..Anyways, I have started designing the cover and some of the pages in the magazine... Their will be a "man manual" on our kitchen boys, articles on our house mom, ads for our t-shirts, socials, and events, quizzes on our history, quizzes such as "If you were a guy, what frat would you be in?" etc. We also are putting Best Dressed and fashion police for our themed events in the magazine. Designing all of this has been alot of help in helping me reach my goal. Doing the magazine really enforces that I complete pages in a timely manner. I am very excited about how this will turn out and I am improving using photoshop :)

Arnell New York's rebranding and advertising strategy for Tropicana was introduced and died in just a couple of months. This story is another great example of how in control consumers are.

Tropicana customers loved the longtime Tropicana symbol, a straw stuck in an orange that stood for the juice's fresh taste (on left) and rejected the new image (on right).

On Monday, New York Times advertising columnist Stuart Elliot wrote,"PepsiCo... is bowing to public demand and scrapping the changes made to a flagship product, Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice. Redesigned packaging that was introduced in early January is being discontinued... and the previous version will be brought back in the next month."

It makes you question the research for this campaign? Did they do research at the start? Did they test their creative with their target market? Who did they ask? Why if this reaction was so strong did they not get a sense of this before rolling out a $35 million dollar campaign?

Shaq, The Diesel, Shaq Fu, The Big Aristotle, The Big Daddy, Superman, The Man of Steel, The Big Agave, The Big Cactus, The Big Shaqtus, The Big Galactus, Wilt Chamberneezy, The Big Baryshnikov, The Real Deal, Dr. Shaq (after receiving his MBA) and last but not least to be created, Shaqovich. Shaquille O'Neal goes by several nicknames as you can see. This man even has a defensive strategy named after him, the Hack-a-Shaq. Derived from the idea to commit a foul against him so he can take free throws (which is one of his weaknesses, the other being kryptonite of course). In addition, he's traveled in between a few teams, compelling each one to rather win a championship or get very close to accepting the honor. Beginning with the Orlando Magic, Michael Jordan might've had something to do with the prevention of a ring. Then comes the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat where he's won a combined four rings. And finally the Phoenix Suns, where he's had the most name changes. All in all, Shaq seems to be leaving an impression not only to the association and its viewers but also a young man named Dwight Howard.

The "Other Superman" got his name from the Slam Dunk contest last year as he whipped out a cape to perform his dunk, which was more like a throw as he never actually made contact with the rim with his hand at all. Regardless he brought personality back to the All-Star weekend, inspiring Nate Robinson this year to wear a kryptonite alternatively colored jersey and maybe be more creative to which broke Howard obtaining back to back victories. Howard is setting records as did Shaq in his hay day. But you begin to wonder, is he going to follow in similar footsteps? I mean Howard is in the Orlando Magic! Only time and trades will tell.

Call me a sucker, call me a loser, whatever you say I won't change. I am drawn towards art (get it drawn, drawing, art haha terrible joke). When I was little my parents thought I was ridiculous because I would grab a large stack of paper and draw my depiction of what a tornado would be like. It took me at least thirty pages because I would draw random objects that would be in the tornado on separate sheets. While that was a complete waste of paper, it allowed for me to express myself. That's what's beautiful about art.

One can be themselves and not be laughed at. The beauty lies in the perception of each image. For example, if we had 50 people draw a picture of a rose each picture would come out differently. Everyone's idea of an object is different, that's why art fascinates me. I have never let go of my routes in art and I can often be found doodling on papers or going to museums just to relieve myself of stress.

I'm pretty involved with my second major, merchandising, and like Ad Club is to Advertising, Collegiate Merchandising Association (CMA) is to Merchandising. The way the merchandising program works is that students spend their last semester in an Intern Block, where schedules are set to take pre-professional courses to prepare every student for their internship. So students in Intern Block take classes for 2 months before they go off spending the rest of the semester fulfilling the internship requirement and then coming back to FSU to graduate and hopefully turning that internship into a job offer. So every semester, CMA organizes an Intern Brunch for the graduating interns. Themes in the past have been Breakfast at Tiffanys and Country Club but this year, our publicists who organized the entire event came up with Mad Hatters, an homage to Alice in Wonderland. It was just whimsical and fun. And how cute is the cake???

Not really...but while searching for warmer shows in Chicago, Alexis and I stumbled into the mall and upon this promotion for the Oscars. It was put on by Euro RSCG and allowed you to step up and take your picture with an Oscar. It was pretty sweet, Im not gonna lie. Isn't this random/cool?!?!?

First of all I'd like to start out by saying that Regis Philbin, famous morning TV star, is on the Jimmy Kimmel show, the later late night show. I just find this very odd.

I've also heard from teachers (who can see when people log on to their blackboard site) that students log in most in the afternoon and then between 12-3am. Just so happens that I fall perfectly into that category. These late night hours seem to be my most productive hours. When my mind is crashing and I start to get loopy is when my creative juices start to flow. The only problem is that I'm usually laying in bed and I figure that I'll remember my idea in the morning.

Guess What.... I ALMOST NEVER REMEMBER.

I need to have a notepad next to my bed... if someone would like to supply me with a cool little notepad... or a MOLESKINE.. that would be awesome.

So I made the journey to Chicago for the Ad Club trip last week, A-mazing! And I experienced snow for the first time, ok maybe not the first, my mom holds photographic evidence of the chrstman when I was 2 years old and it snowed a whopping 2 inches. The picture shows me doing the thumbs down and making a face at the snow.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE snow!

Back to the main point of this blog....Why does the cold florida weather feel worse to me than the freezing Chi-town weather????

Theory 1: It's the humidity, it makes 32 degrees in Fl feel like 20 degressTheory 2: It's the idea that Fl should be warm, therefore when it's cold, IT IS WRONG and FEELS colder.Theory 3: Disney world is controling the climate, making us was to flock further south to spend our $....

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

So if any of you were on Tennessee street this past Saturday around noon then you would have seen a huge motorcycle crash taking up all three lanes of traffic. Well the boy on the motorcycle was my ex boyfriend and he's very lucky that he is not dead and reason he isn't dead is mostly because the safety gear he was wearing. This whole experience has changed the way i look at things drastically and i pray that none of you have to feel how i felt when i saw his body in the middle of the street when i arrived. If you ride a motorcycle or even a scooter there is so many ways to protect yourself from hard. Most people just have helmets and maybe a riding jacket. Luckily Nick also had armor that covered his front and back. It cushioned his fall (not a lot but enough)when he hit the pavement that his most serious injuries were a lacerated liver and a bruised lung. Most people that saw the crash though he was dead and to tell you the truth when i first got to the scene which was not long after impact i thought that he was going to be a lot worse off. If i had just seen Nick bike alone i would of thought he was dead. It was definitely the most scared I've ever been in my life. i just want everyone to try to be as safest as possible. I know we are in college and you want to have fun but its also about how you effect other people. Please be safe! This picture below is the picture of his bike that i took on my phone right before we left to follow the ambulance to the Hospital. ( the whole front is missing)

Recently I noticed that it seems that EVERYONE on the entire planet is getting sick. I regret to say that today I woke up with the tell-tale sore throat and headache and am now convinced I am the next victim of some evil germ. However, I know that I will triumph over this horrible little bug all because of the miracle cure all we all know as Nyquil. Nyquil, every college students best friend, seems to cure anything you have and let you sleep well in the process. So, with Nyquil in hand I have full confidence that I will see everyone in class tomorrow feeling just fine.

Every Sunday, I would look through Post Secrets and save the ones that moved me. This is one of my favorites out of all the ones that I have saved. Athough the picture feels simple, I think it is really symbolic. The writer can't get passed the barrier that separates her from the vast open land that she could be carefree and young in. I think the barrier (the fence or whatever that is) represents the ideas and things that we learn that separate us from that creative world which this class tries to get us back into. Also the little girl looking towards this world shows how much of it that younger people have. The text capitalizes the creative world and young people and how special and great it is.

p.s. if you didn't know: Post Secrets is a blogging site as well where people submit postcards ananonymously that they have decorated with their deepest secrets on them. They are updated every sunday.

With my voice teacher I'm working on, a pants piece from the opera by Mozart, Le Nozzedi Figaro. Pants roles are male characters who are played by women because they are emasculate in some way. The character who sings it is Cherubino, a very hormonal teenage boy.

The italian text is about being all over the place emotionally. One minute he's fine, the next he's in torment. He's hot, then he's old, and it's all against his own volition.

Mozart is brilliant because they music encompasses the emotions of the character so well. The music makes lots of harmonic leaps and there are off-balance rhythms all over the place. There is a particular motif that throughout the piece, typically closes with an off-balance rhythm and middle pitches for the mezzo-soprano singer. But when that motif is repeated at the end of the song it has a very steady, on the beat sort of rhythm and pitches that are quite low in the singer's range.I think Mozart does this do musically embody the character's resolve to conquer his emotions. In stead of off-balance and all over the place, he is resolutely on the beat and low in pitch in an effort to be manly. But the low-pitch, sounding somewhat unnatural for the high-voiced singer, indicates that the character is still just a boy.

So my first blog this semester was about the Snuggie and its not-so-creative yet extremely popular infomercial. I also told you all that I had ordered one. Well...my Snuggie (and free booklight) has arrived!!!! AND it came in handy last night! As some of you may know, I am a volunteer leader for an organization called Young Life, and I work with kids here in Tallahassee that go to Leon High School. Just as a brief background, Young Life is a faith-based organization that focuses on meeting kids where they are at in life (whether its at school, at a sporting event/practive, at the mall, at home, etc) and just listening to them and building relationships with them. Every Monday night, me and about 10 other volunteer leaders lead what is known as "club" at a high schooler's house. Midtown club here in Tallahassee usually has about 50-80 high-schoolers from Leon, Maclay, and John Paul II high schools that come and take part in crazy games, awesome songs, hilarious skits, and a brief time to share in the word of God. It's a great way for these students to come together and all hang out whether they are in the same social circles or not. ANYWAYS...so club usually has a theme every week, and this week was INFOMERCIAL CLUB!!! It was an absolute hit! Kids loved it. I was wearing my Snuggie proudly, and we all concocted this awesome game to see how fast we could get the Snuggie on a group of people without using each others hands (it sounds crazy but it worke, trust me). Then we played a trivia game between a boy and a girl where each had a Magic Bullet blender to make smoothies. Every time one would get an answer correct, they could pick what ingredient they wanted in their smoothie, BUT if they got an inswer wrong, we picked a nasty ingredient to put in the smoothie (beef jerky, sardines, celery, etc). At the end, the loser had to drink the smoothie. It was nasty! FINALLY (and this was my favorite thing of the whole night)...one of the other leaders, Scott, did a skit where he acted like he was selling a product called the Veg-O-Matic on an infomercial. However, the Veg-O-Matic was really a female leader with a box over her so that her head stuck out. Scott was demonstrating how "amazing" the Veg-O-Matic was, giving the leader under the box multiple ingredients to chew up and spit in a cup. Finally when the "smoothie" was all blended by the Veg-O-Matic, Scott drank the entire thing in front of all the kids. IT WAS HILARIOUS!!! but very disturbing as well. All the kids loved it and had such a good time last night celebrating the amazing infomercials we all know and love!

The colorful prints of Lilly Pulitzer are seen worldwide. The attractive bold colors and intricate designs have been luring women in of all ages. The company has been around a lot longer than many know.

My grandmother taught me how to sew when I was in fourth grade. I would painstakingly sew together two by two squares for hours in the summer at her beach house. The squares would come together in a blur of neon pinks and oranges, yellows and greens forming usually a pillow or small blanket. I never could focus on one project long enough to have a decent end product.

Each of the squares of Lilly Pulitzer fabric contain "Lilly," hidden somewhere in the design. The brightly themed patterns are derived from the companies' creator who wanted to hide fruit stains and often found inspiration in ice cream colors. "Lilly," can be found as the veins in a leaf or petal of a flower but are always hidden somewhere.

As I'm sure most of you know, the 81st annual Academy Awards took place this past Sunday evening. I am a huge fan of movies, so I love to see who wins all the awards...but I also love to see what the celebrities are wearing. There are always some pretty awful ensembles, but this year I think that Beyonce Knowles stole the show (in a bad way). The usually stunning singer came out in a mess of black and gold... designed by no one other than her own mother. I know it's your mom and all, but come on... it's the Oscars. It might be more appropriate to come out wearing something a little more well known. Her mom's ideas are just a little too out there--

Nonetheless, she is still gorgeous... so I guess one fashion faux pas is allowed.

Great impression I'm setting on my fellow peers and teachers! The one who didn't blog last week, and who waits until Tuesday to complete her first blog! Brilliant! I couldn't think of anything to blog about last week, I was going to do that lame thing you do when you're in desperate need of a grade. You all know what I'm talking about! C R E A T I V E... and you write a word that starts with each letter that corresponds to something creative. I had come up with:

How bogus would have that been? So glad I didn't do that! (Because not writing a blog at all is such a better idea!!!!) But, when I was in class last Wednesday, Tom was talking about being creative, and how it doesn't come so naturally, you have to learn how to become creative, what it takes to be creative; although this was an ego killer, it made me not worry so much about trying to come up with something creative. From now on I'm just going to not think about it, I'm going to useand whatever comes to mind, whatever I see, whatever comes out of my veins, and just flow with it...

After further review of my 21st Birthday pictures, I came across this picture:

And although I am obviously choking my best friend, I noticed these dark spots all over my pants, and I was thinking of how they got there. Here are the thoughts I came across:

I sat in something wetThe toilet has some serious flushing splash to itI just forgot to use the bathroom and weedled myselfI just missed the toilet all together and weedled myselfAfter using the bathroom and washing my hands, there apparently was nothing else to wipe my hands with (I really am hoping it's this one!)The dark spots are the new styleDuring the balloon fight, someone got my bottomSomeone took a shot with my bottom

TRUTH-- I have no recollection on how or why my pants got this way... which tells me at least I know I lived up to the expectations of my 21st birthday!

Yesterday I was on the Tomahawk route bus for the first time since my freshman year. I was feeling too lazy to walk and if I didn't walk fast I was going to be late to my meeting with my advisor. I forgot how packed those suckers got from the hours of 11-3; and I was getting on right at the primetime around 11:45. I remembered why I haven't taken the bus in over a year...

It is the most awkward experience alive when the busses are packed. You have the people standing and the ones sitting down cant look straight ahead because then they're looking at you and that's just awkward, so they pretend to text or mess with their iPod; backpacks are being shoved in guts, feet are being stepped on, accidentally caressing someone's leg. Complete chaos.

And finally, when you have the crazy, speedy-gonzalez, lead-foot bus drivers, they make you hold on for dear life when you're standing. And you try so hard to keep that balance, but then eventually you slip. People act like they don't notice, but you know you just made a fool of yourself in front of 30 people.

But the absolute worse is when you slip and your crotch lands in someone's face...

This evening, Ad Club hosted All-Night Yahtzee (ANY), Florida State's own award-winning co-ed a cappella group. The are absolutely incredible! Not only is ANY the #1 collegiate a cappella group in the Southern United States, it is the #2 collegiate a cappella group in the entire world!

Exec decided to incorporate an All-Night Yahtzee performance into our meeting after a bit of brainstorming. While discussing how to close our presentation on the influence of advertising in pop culture (specifically movies, television and music), we had initially thought of having a full gospel choir burst through the doors in song (and employing product placement, obviously). Alas, none of knew anyone in a gospel choir, so we were forced to toss the idea. I have a friend in All-Night Yahtzee, so after making the suggestion and sending a few text messages, we had them booked for Tuesday night. We were all so excited, especially to see the Ad Club members' reactions as a group of singers came cheering and singing through the doorway.

Lucky for us, All-Night Yahtzee was a hit! Everyone looked completely surprised at first and then after the group started singing, we couldn't wait to hear more. Most of the people in Ad Club had never heard of All-Night Yahtzee before and seemed to be very interested thereafter. I am planning on sending out the contact information so that whoever is interested can find out about concerts in the near future.

All-Night Yahtzee is definitely worth a listen. It's is truly amazing how such a powerful sound can be derived simply from voices with no instrumental support. They are tremendous performers as well, constantly moving, making eye contact with the audience and each other. They have just released their fifth album, including popular hits from bands like Paramore and The Fray, as they performed tonight. For more information and audio clips, please please please check out their website or look them up on facebook. It is so worth it!

I noticed that there are advertisements at the bottom of the bins as I put my stuff in it to go through security. Also, there were ads on our tray tables on the plane. I was really excited to see this type of non-traditional media and told everyone who I was traveling with (I thought they'd appreciate it since they are all Advertising majors). They told me that type of advertising has been around for a while. It's funny because I fly numerous times throughout the year and have never once seen an ad at the bottom of those bins or on the tray tables. Anyways, I thought it was a creative new medium, so if you've never noticed them before, be on the look out next time you fly.

As I sit here typing on my perfectly healthy 2006 Dell Laptop I am drueling over the new Macbook pro on my TV. My roommate is an owner of the now "old" Macbook pro and I am constantly envious of it's imovie, ichat, iphoto, i etc....capabilities. The new "Green" notebook family commercials are quite interesting, they do not even mention the notebook's capabilities. It strictly focuses on the notebook's "green" battery. Since the Y generation is sooo "going green" oreinted, it is not surprise to me that Apple would take this into consideration when deciding their marketing strategy.

Although many people flocked to New Orleans this past weekend for the Mardi Gras madness, I am saving myself for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Fest coming up later in the semester. The line up is incredible and the environment is perfect for this annual music festival. Granted the show is the weekend before finals but who can turn down the chance to hangout with Dave Matthews, The Kings of Leon and James Taylor all within a 48 hour period?!

For the past few weeks it seems everyone has been fighting off a cold. Last week I finally gave in and declared myself as officially sick.Equipped with Robitussin and cough drops I settled in for a weekend of sleep and recovery. On Saturday I was talking to my Mom and she declared that what I really needed was some good old fashioned chicken soup. This got me thinking why is it that people find chicken soup so comforting when they’re sick?

Throughout history chicken soup has been proscribed as a cure to the common cold. According to Wikipedia "Modern research conducted by Dr. Stephen Rennard, professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine, and his colleagues at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha suggests that there might be some scientific basis for the belief in the curative powers of chicken soup. They found that the particular blend of nutrients and vitamins in traditional chicken soup can slow the activity of certain white blood cells." Therefore chicken soup acts as natural anti-inflammatory and decongestant temporarily relieving cold symptoms.

No, lie, about a week ago, a good friend of mine was the victim of identity theft. We were out at Bird's Aphrodisiac Oyster Shack over on Bronough for a weekly meet-up. He tried to order a basket of fries but was told his card had been declined. When he called his credit card company, he discovered someone had obtained his information, and started wildly charging up everything from a new Dell laptop and clothes from Old Navy, to somehow racking up over $100 on match.com.

while a serious subject, you would have to know my friend to understand how hilarious this is. He is the absolute last person to ever venture onto match.com.

Anyway, now, sometime later, I see this commercial that I think is going to sell me a car, yet the copy at the end of it talks about identity theft.

Eventually, it all makes sense in a very creative, kind of humorous way...check these out:

Recently I've seen writing on cars, whether it was for dance marathon or is for relay for life or something else, but I think it's a good way to get people to notice what your trying to promote. However, my friends and I have used the car chalk as a prank before. Also we've done a saran wrap around a car with balloons inside for someones birthday! I came across this web page and think there are some pretty creative ways to prank someone whether it is their car or their office! I love the cardboard one and the colorful post it car! click here to check out some other cool pranks!

This past Saturday was Zeta Tau Alpha's 15th annual Race to Live which is a 5K run raising money for breast cancer education, awareness and research. I was so impressed with how many people came out to support this important cause. Last year we had around 650 runners and this year we had over 1000!!! It is really amazing to me that the majority of these particiapnts were college students using their money to be a part of our philanthropy. I think everyone can agree that we have all have to be a little more cost conscious these days but it means a lot to us that our friends and other students have gotten up early on a Saturday morning when most are usually sleeping from the night before and spending their money that they could be spending at the bar. Thank you again to everyone who participated in this cause!!!Here are some facts about Breast Cancer that I think would benefit everyone to know and help increase awareness...-Breast cancer incidence in the United States is 1 in every 8 women.-Breast Cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer besides lung cancer. -Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among U.S. women. More than 1 in 4 cancers are breast cancer. -About 90% of breast cancers are due not to heredity, but to genetic abnormalities that happen as a result of the aging process and life in general. Ellen Manry

This article is all about how to give up facebook for lent. I think it's a pretty creative idea and something many people probably need to consider. It amazes me how much facebook has become part of our lives. It's pretty hard to imagine life before facebook. How did people share pictures? Or know about different parties or events. It seems like such an obvious tool that really is pretty new. The article suggests that you change your status, and picture to the notifcation "Gave up facebook for lent". Now i dont know how many people would actually consider giving up their addiction to constantly knowing what everyone everywhere is doing. But it seems like a good idea. I know when I was living in Italy this summer I would go does without facebook, and I found that as long as you're busy it's really not that bad to live without it...sort of. The article gives some other tips, like writing down important birthdays, and turning off other accuonts like twitter. Now considering half of the people I know can access facebook via their mobile phone's, I dont know how likely this will be. But I think it would be an interesting challenge/experiment to see what life without facebook for awhile would be like. Would you suddenly feel completely disconnected? Or have nightmares that terrible pictures of you are being tagged? Either way, one thing is for sure, and that is that facebook is probably the least likely "thing" to be given up for lent.

Improv Everywhere is a performance art group based in New York City, formed in 2001 by the infamous Charlie Todd. Their catchy slogan, "We Cause Scenes," truly defines what they stand for. The group spontaneously displays non-threatening pranks, which they call "missions," everywhere in the US. They are similar to "Flash Mob," but from their website they show how they are entirely different with the missions they carry out.

Last weekend, one of my good friends, Hallie, was visiting NYC. She would continually call me throughout her weekend to find [of course] the best restaurants, bars, sights, etc; since I do love and know that city like the palm of my hand, I enjoyed every phone call. It was one phone call that occurred on Saturday that made me laugh and realize that I had seen something similar when I was in NYC this past summer. Hallie was telling me how she was in Grand Central, since she had never been there before, and all of a sudden about 200 people just froze. At first everyone was completely confused, unsure what just happened? It was 5 minutes later that the "frozen people" began walking and on with whatever they were doing before they had stopped moving completely. She found out from someone else that it was a mission from the Improve Everywhere group.

I looked it up online this weekend and found some pretty interesting "missions" of theirs throughout the past few years. Some of my favorites were "No Pants: Subway NYC," "Human Mirror," "Cellphone Symphony," and "Food Court Musical."

Monday, February 23, 2009

Over the weekend, I was having lunch with my friend Kaitlin. As I ordered my drink and the waitress walked away, she pulled out a bottle of water with its matching cup cap. Before I could even question this oddity, she began raving about Borba water, a drink created to replenish skin. After listening to all of the great things she had to say about it and how she 'swears by it', I took a sip and to my surprise, it was delicious.

Skin improving water? After further investigation on my part of this fascinating new product, I learned about the three different Borba waters, one for breakouts, one for dry skin and another for aging skin. As I thought about it more, it made sense-the food we eat and the beverages we drink affects our internal balance, in turn affecting our skin. The water, now Vitamin Water's competitor, contains vitamins that replenish the skin, not only with hydration but with antioxidants to improve the overall tone of the skin. Now that topicals and skin creams have become less effective, people are moving to pills and foods to gain their vitamins. Not only is the product sold in organic stores, but mini fridges have also been inserted into cosmetic stores such as Sephora to promote great skin care.

After reading and watching my Industry Assignment partner's blog about 72 and Sunny I decided to check the agency out first hand. The Nike Next Level ad was also one of my favorite ones in a while and I found out that one of my other favorite television ads was created by them also. The Discovery Channel's ad called I Love the World was created by 72 and Sunny. The reason why I like it so much is not just because it has a catchy tune or unbelievable cinematography, it was that it honestly showed how awesome our planet is. People spend thousands of dollars on cars and tangible items but in my eyes the most enjoyable things are what the planet provides us. Of course you have to travel to some places to experience something, but that's why Discovery is here. They want to show its viewers why this planet is so amazing and why it needs to be preserved. Discovery Channel is not giving money at some benefit dinner for the rain forest, but rather actively trying to change peoples perception on this ever-changing place we call Earth. This truly the only way only way going green can fully work, by changing people views.

I found this article about some of the advertisements featured on sunday nights Oscars. It is pretty interesting how different the ads of the Super Bowl differ from those during the Academy Awards, even though they are ranked 1 and 2 for the pricing of 30 second ads.

I have recently been fascinated with legos. As a child you play with them to create really simple to complex things. But it is cool that as people get older they still find a way to express themselves through this children's toy. I think that it is awesome the way you can use them to make almost anything your heart desires. Here is some examples of artwork done with legos. There is also a really cool video by the White Stripes, "Fell In Love With A Girl", that uses legos, but I had trouble uploading it to this post, so you should check it out on youtube!!

So this past weekend was our Spring Ad Club trip to Chicago! Though we've heard stories about how spring trips are usually interesting and may encounter problems everything went amazingly!! The hotel was in walking distance to everything, including an amazing breakfast everyone morning (though Im still a little weary of why there were 12 glamour shotted stuffed rooster photo in the lobby)! The agency visits were fun and helpful and the siteseeing was even better! It snowed pretty much all day on our day off, so for us Florida folks we were in heaven! The food was out of this world and everything was surprisingly in price range, even the living arrangements, not to mention everyone is just so nice and helpful there. I fell in love! Now I'm torn between there and NYC. One downfall was that Chicago does not cater to those under 21! (even bowling...yes bowling) well unless its your high schools "turn-around dance" or whatever, then apparently you own the city riding around in your limos, then ambulances. But we werent letting the age problem stop us from having a blast...

So on wed. night of last week I went to club down under, (you know the club on campus we were shown on the tour freshman year) and saw Dr. Dog with some friends. It's been awhile since I've been to a concert and it was great seeing music preformed. Then I started to think about that statement preforming music, or preforming sound, it seems like an abstract kind of idea. I think it takes a real passion for what you are doing in order to preform it and this band definitely had that passion. You could really tell they loved what they did from the way the danced around to their own beats and fed off the crowds energy as the supplied us with energy as well. The night was so much fun and I don't understand why more people don't appreciate the creativity that comes with writing and preforming music. So I encourage everyone to take a visit to the CDU even if it's a band you don't know, yes you will get the stares of "do you even know this band" from the scene kids, but I say go anyway. Who know maybe the lyrics will inspire you.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

So Sara Bareilles' song, "Love Song," actually has a pretty interesting story behind it. Apparently her record label told her that she had to write a love song for her record that was about to be released, and this is what she came up with..

It is pretty creative how she stayed true to herself and didn't conform to what others wanted, but was still able to give them exactly what they wanted in a twisted, backhanded way. Kudos!

Saturday, February 21, 2009

So I finally saw Role Models at the SLC last night, and it was hilarious! I definitely recommend it to anyone who can handle vulgar humor.

For those of you who haven't seen the movie, 2 guys (Sean W. Scott and Paul Rudd) have to volunteer as mentors for children as required community service. Augie, Paul Rudd's "little" (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), wears a cape and carries around a sword and shield because he's obsessed with LAIRE. Augie doesn't fit in with anyone in the real world (even his parents are bullies), but in LAIRE he's a great warrior fighting for his country and the love of a beautiful princess.

So the scenes with Augie remind me of what we said in class at the beginning of the year about how creativity is stamped out of us over time to fit in with everyone else. The LAIRE battles are completely centered around imagination. If someone's sword hits your leg, you have to lift your foot up and jump around like your leg is gone. If stabbed in the heart, you have to dramatically "die an honorable death." Most people would feel stupid participating at first, but watching everyone in the movie get into it made it look like a lot of fun.

I'm not in a kickstart group, but I think a good kickstart exercise in using our imaginations and getting past social pressures would be our own version of the LAIRE battles. We could break our class up into countries and race into battle with non-dangerous weapons until one victorious country remains. You know it would be hilarious and a lot of fun. And if it's nice out, it might be a good outdoor activity!

We all know the Oxi-Clean man (Billy Mays). So what has he been selling these days? Even if you watch TV in moderation, you've probably seen this guy shouting about Mighty Putty. CollegeHumor does a lovely over-dub of his Mighty Putty commercial. Follow the link to the video.

Last night we landed in the Windy City, and my god do I love this place already. We visited two agencies today and they were both amazing. But what I really love about Chicago is the architecture. It's amazing how something like a building can reflect a designers creativity. I never really thought of it as an art form but it just goes to show that creativity can be executed in so many different forms. There was a few structures that particularly caught my interest. There are these parking garages that are circular and the cars park facing the outside. I will post a picture on here of them when I can. But I just thought it was so neat that somebody would design something like that. Then of course the big, tall, shiny buildings that always seem to make you look up.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

The thought about one day turning out to be like my parents has scared me my entire life. People say it's only a matter of time before it happens and I have noticed in my old age I act more and more like they do! It's a crazy phenomenon, but it's true. I'm living one of my worst childhood nightmares. And not only am I turning into my parents but my older sister is starting to look a lot like my dad. Creepy. Here's a funny picture she drew of her going through the aging process. The portrait of her on the right looks exactly like my dad. Scary!

You don't have to be an actual skateboarder to be a fan of the Nike SB (Skateboarding) collection. This line of shoes, which adds to its library with the introduction of a new set of kicks a few times a year tends to never skip a beat. From my personal favorite, the "Lobsters" to every beer lover's dream, the "Heinys", the shoes always reach a new audience with their already expanding group of followers. They even go as far as to mix it up with the idea of the product. For instance, there's the "Freddy Kruegers", which have the design of the killer's skin on the bottom of the pair, "McFly Zooms", which is inspired from Marty's kicks from Back to the Future 2, and the "Skate or Die Dunks", which were encouraged from the 1987 video game of the same name. All these shoes are a mere fraction of what's come out. And considering the idea that everytime one of these shoes are released there's a massive line awaiting their arrival, it seems there's no end in sight.

Now for a little history lesson. These shoes didn't become popular overnight. It took an artist named Paul Rodriguez who was signed in 2004 to provide some fame to the game of this collection. Nicknamed P-Rod, Paul is a professional skateboarder who appeared in several of the X Games held nowadays by ESPN.

There's one thing left to do...buy a pair, and trust me, there's one out there for everyone and anyone.

Ever heard of TOMS shoes? Those ridiculously cute and comfy shoes? Well not only are they good looking, but they are part of a good cause. For EVERY pair of shoes sold, TOMS donates a whole pair of shoes to a child in need. Amazing!

I am glad to inform you that TOMS is holding a special event here in a couple of weeks where you can use your creative skills to help their cause. It's called Style Your Sole and it's happening on Saturday February 28th 3:00 pm at Burnett Park (Gaines St.) TOMS reps will be in town and selling the white canvas TOMS at this event. They will provide the art supplies and fun decorations, all you have to do is purchase a pair of TOMS and start styling.

I really can't think of a better time, can you?? Here are some pics of what some people have come up with. Also check out the TOMS website...http://www.tomsshoes.com/

Lately I have been really into keeping up on what other countries are creating..If you have looked at my past few blogs, they have all featured commercials from other countries, and their creative strategies seem to be perfect for their target. Here is an DSTV advertisement from Asia..the concept behindDSTV is having choices, so this agency applies this to arranged marriages (something common in Asia). I just thought this ad had the perfect amount of entertainment, humor, and point to make an impression. See what you think.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5HLsvwLPpQ&feature=related

On a more serious note, I was reading an article in Ad Age about magazine publishers and their troubles during this economic time and I found out that some of them are taking measures to make ads more affordable for clients, therefore having more funding for their magazines. One thing that magazine publishers are changing is putting a shorter lead time on when Ads are due. This helps out clients tremendously because one of the main reasons they are not putting ads in magazines is not because they do not want to, its because they can't get budget and creative approved in time. Some companies are also eliminating Bleed charges, something I had no idea even existed. Apparently when technology was not as developed, it was more expensive to print all the way to the edge. That just isn't the case these days, and those charges are still being implemented with some major companies such as CondeNast. Just wanted to update everyone on these things, the good thing is that change is happening, even though its happening slowly.

This picture caught my eye when I was flipping through a magazine in CVS waiting for my prescription to be ready. It is in Brazil where there is obvious economic hardship. The artist behind the eyes is known to the public as JR. His real identity cannot be released because his creations are placed on public property illegally.

How can he create such massive canvases? Through working with locals and fellow enthusiasts of the cause, he carefully executes the process of putting up massive displays from full portraits to close ups of eyes. His canvases include bottoms of pools, stairs, fountains, walls, trains and buildings. They are people who have in some way lived through or currently in a crisis.

His website displays his works but I highly recommend you click through a few of the pictures because they are all unique and beautiful.

I keep hearing people talk about twitter and how its currently the fastest growing social networking site, but I didn't actually check out the site until today. In my intro to pr class a speaker came in today and showed us the site as well as explained its applications. Did you know that despite being the fastest growing social networking site twitter is currently making no revenue. This is because they don't charge a membership fee and the site has yet to devise a way to allow for advertising. Its quite ironic that a company that is estimated to be worth over a billion dollars isn't actually generating any money. Regardless twitter is really an interesting phenomena. This site grants you an all access pass to the minds of successful professionals from various fields and it presents you with the opportunity to hear breaking news before the rest of the world.

So I'm running down 5th avenue (NYC) and all I can see are hot dogs flying out in all directions from this one alleyway.....and people are running in the opposite direction. I don't care and continue running towards the hotdogs. As I turn into the alleyway, I hear a HUGE applause in my direction.....

(for those who don't read the blog enough, continue the game and add a sentence to the story!)

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

I don't know if anyone has noticed, but one of our unique old buildings on campus is no more...The wheels of progress are turning and leaving some of FSU's history in its wake. The buildings are and were some of my favorite on campus. They're the little houses next to the Diner and the SLC. The former Center for Civic Education, Intensive English Studies, Black Student Union and Museum, and the Women's and LGBTQ Center.

These houses were built in the 1920's and were originally part of a neighborhood of homes for faculty of the Florida State College for Women. Now they're being torn down to make way for a new "Thagard" and some parking. Only a couple of the trees will survive and soon no one will know these buildings were ever there. I guess I don't like change very much, but I think it's things like these houses that make our campus so unique and full of history. Ironically, Tradition Way and the Legacy Walk will be a little emptier soon. Enjoy them while they last :)

Arocdnicg to rsceearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer are in the rghit pcale. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit pobelrm. Tihs is buseace the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Our Ciertave Srattegy csals is aolt of fun! We get the opnuoprttiy to kcik strat all of our sretss and wrerios aawy. We aslo get to tinhk otusdie of the box and tlak wtih our peres aoubt exapnindg our mndis. Our prfoesrsos are also raelly encruangoig and crae dleepy aubot our cervatie deveopmlnet. Caervtie Srategty rkcos!

I read an article from a psychologist in the Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at Cambridge. He said this study never took place. True or false, I still think its cool!

Picking out an outfit can be a huge pain in the @$$! I'm sure at least all of the girls can agree with me. There is a website, polyvore.com, that can help solve this problem. It is a website that pieces together outfits from different stores for you. You can go to the website and check out one of their outfits (where there is a link for each item to the store's website so you can buy it), or create one of your own. It's so great! Although the clothing and accessories cost a bit much, it can at least get your creative juices flowing before a trip to somewhere cheap like Forever 21...

I happened to somehow stumble upon this AMAZING product. The Fish & Flush has been branded "a whimsical potty that turns your toilet into a nautical wonderland". I'll preface by saying that I have never EVER thought of putting the words "toilet" and "wonderland" in a sentence together. This latest invention from AquaOne technologies combines decoration and ambiance with function. The system consists of a 2.2 gallon aquarium that wraps around an inner tank that hold the water for the toilet. It can be filled with either fresh or salt water and is completely fish friendly and safe. It works just like any ordinary toilet but serves dual purposes as a great conversation piece for the bathroom too! Amazingly, its only $199! This is seriously one of the coolest things I've ever seen before. If I somehow was able to afford building a custom home right now in my life...that toilet would be in my living room...no lie. Please go check out the website. http://www.fishnflush.com/index.html

I <3 Huckabees is a brilliant existential comedy. Various crazy people seek help from "Existential Detectives" who HATE being called therapists. Their job is to spy on all aspects of their clients lives in order to figure out their reality.The movie presents many different kinds of habitual interpretation of ones' surroundings. Detail-orientation, focusing on the big picture, focusing on human drama and dispairing at our insignificance. I feel like the movie seeks to reconcile the various ways people perceive reality into one view. Different situations call for different perspectives.Additionally the directors' illustration on internal reflection is just magnificent. The political agenda annoyed me a little, but it was totally forgivable.

I am not much of a TV watcher but I love this show. Flight of the Conchords is actually a legit band and they are playing at the UCF arena in may. The new series just started up recently. I am not sure what channel but it runs at 10PM on Sundays. Check it out!

I'm sure most of you have already seen Julian Beever's absolutely incredible sidewalk art, but to the few who have missed out or if you are like me and just can't get enough here is his site with all his work. Here is a sample of what he does. So cool!!

So I'm running down 5th avenue (NYC) and all I can see are hot dogs flying out in all directions from this one alleyway.....and people are running in the opposite direction. I don't care and continue running towards the hotdogs.......

I've taken notice to the lack of comments made for our class blogs (mine included). The next three posts are the starts to stories I am asking everyone in the class to add atleast one sentence to. Yes, like the game telephone. Take the story where you want. If someone feels the need to end it, feel free. Make it crazy, make it sane. For every story everyone adds something to, I'll print a final copy out, and bring to next class. Go nuts!

So I'm frontrow at the 2000 Presidential debate between Bush and Gore, and Pee Wee Herman and I just killed a bottle of Jager...

I was playing with my dog today, a boston terrier, named Dexter. I think dogs are so interesting in the way they can take anything and turn it into something fun! He loves taking socks and then piling them up or hiding them! Or he loves to play tug of war with one of his toys. I always wonder what dogs are thinking and how they are so creative with the way they take things. I mean who thinks a tissue is something fun- he loves taking tissues and ripping them up into little pieces- he doesn't eat them, he just rips them up. Its always fascinating to think- they really are a man's best friend. I saw Marley and Me with my family and thought it was such a cute movie- however very sad. My family, dad, mom, older sister and twin and me, all sat there crying our eyes out at the end because it reminded us of our dog, Oreo, that recently died. Somehow over time, dogs turn into one of the family- like a human being and I think it's awesome. My dad was hit the hardest, Oreo was his walking buddy, his hiking companion. What makes someone get so attached to something that can't even talk. Dogs have emotion too- right now my dog is jumping on me whining begging to play with him. I love dogs and all their personalities! We always joke saying that my sister's dog is really a momma's boy who is a scaredy-cat and that he thinks he's king of the world, while my other friends bulldog thinks he's going to take over the world although he is a very whimpy bulldog and we do these funny voices that would coincide with their personalities.

Not sure where this post is going- it's sort of all over the place but what I was trying to get to was this website and how they award the ugliest dogs! Now you either have to be really creative to make your dog look so ugly or the breed of dog just doesn't have the best of luck in looks! have fun scrolling through the ugly ones!

I was watching TV this morning and there was nothing on but infomercials. I got sucked into this one infomercial for a product called the Cricut Expressions. Basically what it does it cut out letters and designs for you, but the people on the infomercial made it sound so amazing. I hate it when I get sucked into silly infomercials for things I don't need but sometimes they're just too funny to pass up. They make everyday occurrences seem so difficult, like using scissors or reading a book with a blanket on ( you have to love the Snuggie), and only their product will make your life 100% easier. I think the people who create infomercials, despite being master's of spin, are pretty creative in coming up with ways to make us think we need their products.

With my 21st birthday quickly approaching within the next few days, it is essential I choose a good theme for the memories....or at least the pictures to aid my memory... (just kidding!...kind of).

A good theme should be a reflection of who I am and what is quintessentially me. After careful consideration, I've decided to go with 80s Rock Star. Now you may be thinking "oh, 80s is so cliche..." but it's not just 80s..it's 80s ROCK STAR. The decade of Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, The Police....and other classic karaoke favorites. Plus, it's an excuse to go all out in the big hair, neon bangles, leggings and leather skirts...hot stuff I won't be caught dead in any other night. Besides, I was born in the 80s...granted, it was the late 80s, but still... it's a decade I think I would have had so much fun in.

But then again, what I would do without my iPod, BlackBerry, and macBook today? So while I'm excited for my birthday flashback, there's still nothing like being in the present.

When was the last time you splurged to make yourself feel better about something? Many women are guilty of it. That dress to make up for the bad test grade. That handbag to make you feel better about the fight with your boyfriend. Maybe that bracelet because you woke up late which of course qualifies as a bad day, causing you to need it. A perfect portrayal of a woman's need to shop for happiness and express herself in style is Confessions of a Shopaholic, a film based on the national bestseller book. The leading character, Rebecca Bloomwood, did a fantastic job of portraying a fashionista with her own flare of comedy and creativity. What I loved most about the film was that creativity was expressed indirectly through her character having her own spunk and flare of fashion. Creativity is writing for an economic magazine and writing about the deception of stores and real cashmere. It is putting your own edge on something you aren't particularly interested in doing. The recently debuted chick flick had the entire theater laughing, even the boyfriends of the bunch. It was impressively directed and dealt with hilarious issues any woman can relate to, from splitting purchases on multiple credit cards to declaring creepy stalkers. Above all, it expressed the importance of success and being yourself.

Creativity is like a shoe. There are different designers, different colors and shapes, and most importantly, they are best to not be borrowed.

So I thought that I had pinned down my favorite agency. I was pretty sure it was Portland based Wieden+Kennedy (W+K). They are known for their work with NIKE, Coca-Cola, Converse, Heineken USA, Proctor & Gamble, Levi's, and Target.

My favorite of which being their NIKE ads.

*on a side note* I LOVE NIKE... so never hate.

Until a few days ago, I had never really heard of the LA based agency 72 and Sunny. They are my industry assignment and I decided I should look into them a little bit. Turns out that they are battling as my new favorite agency. They also do work with NIKE... oh, and guess what! it was started by 2 higher ups from the Amsterdam Wieden+Kennedy office. I feel so torn.

So this weekend was valentines day and because my apartment is mostly filled with single girls we decided to be creative and instead of being mad and single we decided to be bright and have a little fun. We all Tye dyed shirts and had girls night. I know almost every girl that is single had girls night on valentines day but i had a lot of fun and we had a bunch of different activities planned for the night ..Including card games, dancing games and acrobatic games. I know that sounds lame but it turned out to be amazing and really successful.

Today I found out I was accepted for a columnist position at Petrous Media Inc. I'm so super stoked because I'm getting my internship credits for something I'll actually enjoy doing. My job is to write as many sports related blogs I am able to, and to get more people to join the site and to interact with the writers, commenting on the blogs and giving feedback. This would really be a dream job of mine, writing about the sports world all day, more specifically the Orlando Magic, super excited! The website is: http://numonefan.com/. Get online and look around! Support the website and company and if you're a huge sports fan, comment the blogs and tell us what you have to say!!

So I am sure everyone at one point has gone to the 24`7 target copy over on tennessee street for school related reasons or what not. I went by today to get my resume printed on linen paper to send out to a few places I am applying to intern. I brought my resume on my flash drive assuming they would just upload it and print it for me. Wrong, this required me to pay to use their computers to upload my resume and then send it to their printer. So, I logged into their computer and sent it to printer one as instructed. The woman gave me back a copy of a black and white resume, trouble is my resume has a colored border. They then give me this whole attitude about why I would send it to the "black/white" printer when I wanted color. Even though that is what they instructed me to do. They then ask me to tell them which computer I was using...I say i'm not sure they say WELL YOU CAN COUNT CAN'T YOU?? I say whichever one is furthest, and the man rudely replied "well that would be computer FOUR"! As if i knew the order in which the computers atlesat 20 feet away were ordered. Again, I re did everything, being charged again, just to print out my resume on some nice paper. I better get these internships after this whole ordeal. I can't say I wont go back to target copy but I am sure glad I do not work there!

So I am a big fan of the Ellen Degeneres show, I don't know if any of you watch but you should! Anyways, she started playing this game recently after her birthday called blindfolded musical chairs and I saw her have the Jonas brothers do it today, and it's hilarious. Here is the video to the first time she did it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS9W26bSRw4Watch for the lady in the yellow shirt, aka Karen-- she is ridiculous. I'm thinking we just might have to play this in class sometime... enjoy! :)

Recently I have been flying back and forth home to Boston alot. Because of that, I have had many many moments of boredom. So, I started d to read the sky mall catalog. FOr those of you who haven't flown recently, its basically a magazine filled with overpriced useless items. But, nonetheless some of the things are pretty cool. Here are my top 3: 1. Waterproof Ipod stereo system-basically your ipod can float in the pool with you. It doesn't get any better than that. 2. Towelmatic Dispenses paper towels so you dont have to touchthem---- How lazy can you be? But on the plus side I guess it reduces the spread of germs. 3. Floating black jack game- I am not sure why anyone needs to plat cards in the pool, but its interesting? www.skymall.com

The work of even the local graffiti artist can be captivating indeed. Something tells me this billboard should be higher. Although this IS hilarious, it can help remind us of the downsides of outdoor mediums. Or maybe I should say dangers. Something like this helps tear down your image, or at least turn your money against you.

Monday, February 16, 2009

A week from this Tuesday will involve a lot of music, mayhem, and for some people a lot of meat. "MardiGras" is french for "Fat Tuesday." It is the day before Ash Wednesday, a day of celebration and a ton of partying before Lent's 40 days of sacrifice begin. MardiGras is celebrated in many cities of the world, but it is not necessarily called MardiGras; however, it is known as Carnival.

Hundreds of years ago, the followers of the Catholic religion in Italy started the tradition of holding a wild costume festival right before Lent begins. Since they are not supposed to eat meat during lent, they called their festival, Carnevale, which means "to put away the meat." Carnival in Europe, especially in Italy, is a very big deal and many people get very into it starting from this past weekend all the through to Fat Tuesday.

When I was in Italy a year ago, we indeed had ourselves a great time. Through the FSU International Florence Program we celebrated Fat Tuesday with dinner and a little costume competition. Even though I am Jewish I had to take part in this celebration, and my best friend and I were going to make sure to entertain and win this costume competition.

There were the ninja turtles, Michelangelo's, 80s themed, Marie Antoinette, and many more. We decided to do a little something different to exceed the competition. Guess who???

Nonetheless then CHARLIE CHAPLIN... We might have not won the Best Female Costume, but we did win the Best Male Costume!

Have an incredible FAT TUESDAY and celebrate it the right way with music, masks, and mayhem!!!

So I'm pretty sure that this is a Red Bull commercial in Italy. The dialogue is in Italian, but it is strange that the music playing in the background is in English. Anyways, it is a humorous, yet awkward commercial. Probably a tad to raunchy for America, but I thought that I would share it with y'all.

So my dad sent me this email that had some pretty funny ads from the 1930's in it. I was looking through them and some of them were shocking! Most of the ads that he sent me dealt with smoking different kinds of cigarettes. It just amazed me how much the perception of smoking has changed and as a result the type of advertising associated with smoking has changed. Now you see more ads that are anti-smoking than ads for the actual product. These pictures are an example.

Last week when I was just perusing the vodka section at Albertons, of course not buying because I'm not of age, I noticed that tons of the high class bottles had really crazy designs for the bottle. My buddy bought one of them purely because of the bottle design, he had no clue what the brand even was. As I looked around I saw that vodka was really the only liquor that had these crazy bottles. In no way do I have any idea why this is, but just wanted everyone to check this out next time your at ABC or wherever. Im guessing its just a way for smaller/ foreign vodka companies to get noticed over big name companies such as Smirnoff, Absolut, or Grey Goose. It obviously worked becuase when I was there I saw three people buy these random brands over the well known ones.

Creativity

“It’s like washing a pig. It’s messy, it has no rules, no clear beginning, middle or end: it’s kind of a pain in the ass, and when you’re done, you’re not sure if the pig is clean or even why you were washing a pig.” - Luke Sullivan